IFT Comments

December 5, 2017
IFT met with the Senior USDA Policy staff from the Office of Secretary Perdue to discuss IFT’s policy recommendations for the 2018 Farm Bill Reauthorization and to emphasize the need for food scientists and technologists on the future Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. (Read more)

November 28, 2017
IFT provided oral testimony at the USDA listening session on the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, urging the agency to include at least one food scientist and technologist in the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. (Read more)

November 16, 2017
IFT provided written comments to the Food and Drug Administration, outlining IFT resources on biotechnology, which may be of value to address specific questions posed by the FDA and for developing a comprehensive framework for consumer education on agricultural biotechnology. (Read more)

October 20, 2017
IFT, as part of a broader coalition of 63 agriculture, food, and nutrition focused organizations and universities submitted a joint letter to the Congress, outlining 10 specific policy recommendations designed to strengthen the 2018 Farm Bill Research Title. (Read more)

April 26, 2017
IFT provided written comments to specific questions posed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the “Use of the term 'Healthy' in the Labeling of Human Food Products.” (Read more)

January 10, 2017
IFT provided oral testimony at the third meeting on the review of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans held by the National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine on January 10. (Read more)

May 6, 2016
IFT provided written comments to specific questions posed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the “Use of the term “natural” in the labeling of human food products.” IFT suggested that to reduce or prevent consumer confusion and misinterpretation of the term “natural” on food packages, the FDA should consider either clearly defining or prohibiting the use of the term “natural” on food labels. (Read more)

February 19, 2016
IFT provided oral comments at the listening session to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The purpose of the listening session was to receive input from stakeholders on the process of developing future editions of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. IFT addressed the need for a food scientist and technologists on the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and urged USDA to ensure that food scientist(s) and technologist(s) are part of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee in the future. (Read more)

July 31, 2015
IFT GFTC urged development of effective traceability requirements for all species, and use of risk-based principles to prioritize enforcement and compliance. Recommendations were also provided on how to adopt and measure risk factors associated with traceability, and for capacity building for small and mid-sized enterprises and certified training for authorities and inspectors. (Read more)

June 8, 2015
IFT GFTC urged development of effective traceability requirements for all species, and use of risk-based principles to prioritize enforcement and compliance. Recommendations were also provided on how to adopt and measure risk factors associated with traceability, and for capacity building for small and mid-sized enterprises and certified training for authorities and inspectors. (Read more)

May 8, 2015
IFT urges the Department of Health and Human Services, (DHHS), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to seek input from food scientists and technologists in the development of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and its implementation in various federal, state and local food and nutrition policies and programs, to ensure that the guidelines are practical, realistic, and achievable. IFT welcomes the opportunity to participate in a strategic public/private dialogue on the development of a collaborative effort to identify practical solutions to implement the 2015 Dietary Guidelines. Further, IFT also urges DHHS and USDA to engage food scientists and technologists in the development of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines and the guidance planned for the birth to 24 months age segment. (Read more)

January 20, 2015
IFT GFTC addresses how to most effectively implement the recommendations from the Presidential Task Force on Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and Seafood Fraud (Read more)

June 12, 2014
IFT urges the Department of Health and Human Services, (DHHS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) to invite food scientists and food technologists to the discussions during the 2015 Dietary Guidelines deliberations, and brings to the attention of the Committee the American Society for Nutrition’s scientific statement on “Processed foods: Contributions to nutrition.” (Read more)

March 31, 2014
IFT submitted comments on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) draft guideline on sugars. The WHO recommends that the guideline can be “used to develop a strategy to reformulate food products, in particular processed food products that are high in sugars.” (Read more)

March 14, 2014
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Immediate Past President John Ruff presented at the third meeting of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) on March 14 at the National Institutes of Health. (Read more)

November 26, 2013
IFT submitted joint comments (American Academy of Pediatrics, American Society for Nutrition, American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, International Life Sciences Institute North America, International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics, North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition), to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expressing concern that the food and nutrition research community was not given an opportunity to review and provide input on guidance related to “Conventional Food and Studies Intended toSupport a Health Claim” before the final IND guidance was issued. (Read more)

September 25, 2013
IFT urges the Department of Health and Human Services, (DHHS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) to seek guidance and invite a food scientist and/or technologist to provide “testimony” during one of its public meetings as the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are developed. (Read more)

June 3, 2013
IFT provided comments to the National Research Council’s Committee on a Review of the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. IFT’s perspective conveyed the integral role that food science plays in the development and delivery of safe, nutritious, healthy, tasty, and affordable foods that can meet the needs of the growing population. IFT strongly urged NIFA to consider the benefits of including food science-related research when future RFA priority areas are developed. (Read more)

April 2, 2012
IFT submitted comments to Food Standards Australia and New Zealand on P293 on Nutrition, Health, and Related Claims. Specifically, IFT explained how food scientists and technologists are working to make significant strides in reducing the amount of saturated fatty acids and also reducing or eliminating industrial trans fatty acids. IFT requested Food Standards Australia and New Zealand consider a claim regarding monounsaturated fatty acids and the reduction of LDL in the context of a diet low in saturated fatty acids. We acknowledged we are not aware of evidence to support the hypothesis that consumers are purchasing foods of lower nutritional quality because they are misled by fat-free or % fat free claims. IFT explained how the combination of various fats and oils contributes to functionality in a wide variety of food formulations, as well as the contribution to nutritional and health outcomes. (Read more)

March 16, 2012
IFT submitted comments on WHO on their Draft Review and Update of Current WHO Guidelines on Saturated Fatty-Acids and Trans-Fatty Acid Consumption. IFT emphasized further work is needed to understand both the positive and negative contributions of various fatty acids. IFT also emphasized WHO should recognize the importance of food science and technology components to more effectively establish realistic and feasible guidelines on fatty acids the general population can practically and financially adhere to. For trans-fatty acid consumption specifically, IFT recommended future research examine the scientific and technological opportunities and obstacles to further reduce or eliminate trans-fatty acids in the food supply, particularly in dairy and meat products. (Read more)

March 1, 2012
IFT submitted written comments to Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) as follow-up to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Stakeholder Listening Session held on February 22nd. In an effort to enhance the competitive program, IFT submitted comments for consideration in the development of future AFRI program solicitations. IFT, along with research universities and major food companies, are very concerned to see the lack of funding opportunities, for many areas considered highly important among food scientists. (Read more)

February 28, 2012
IFT submitted comments on WHO Draft Guidelines on Potassium and Sodium Intake for Adults and Children. IFT emphasized further work is needed to understand the food science behind innovations and challenges to reducing dietary sodium while also improving potassium availability in the food supply. (Read more)

December 21, 2011
In this written commentary, IFT provides insights to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on the current system for handling and releasing federally-funded research in peer-reviewed journals and the potential ramifications of open access policies. (Read more)

November 10, 2011
IFT provided oral comments at the HHS/USDA Joint Public Meeting on Approaches to Reducing Sodium Consumption on Thursday, November 10, 2011. IFT will also submit written comments to FDA/FSIS by November 29, 2011. Please contact Sheila at sfleischhacker@ift.org if you would like to learn more or provide insights on creating lower sodium products. (Read more)

July 14, 2011
IFT recognizes the critical value of improving children’s diets and addressing the high rates of childhood obesity. We commend the Interagency Working Group for seeking public comment on the preliminary proposal for voluntary principles to guide industry self-regulatory efforts to improve the nutritional profile of foods marketed to children, and offer the following responses to select specific questions posed in the Working Group's preliminary proposal. (Read more)

April 8, 2011
IFT supports the NOSB Handling Committee’s recommendation that calls for renewal of the allowance in organic foods of vitamins, minerals, and materials as required or allowed by law to enrich, supplement, or fortify foods including infant formula. (Read more)

March 23, 2011
IFT encouraged the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture to carefully consider the potential for nanotechnology and other scientific and technical advancements that could positively impact organic food production, processing, and packaging to meet the food and nutrition needs of our growing global population. IFT also urged the National Organic Program and the National Organic Standards Board to consider the best available science in making decisions about nanotechnology for the organic food industry, and offered to serve as a scientific and technical resource. (Read more)

March 22, 2011
Given the rigorous safety evaluation that color additives undergo and the lack of scientific evidence for a link with adverse behavior, IFT’s viewpoint is that food color additives present very little risk or effectively no risk for the vast majority of consumers. (Read more)

March 14, 2011
Based on the work IFT has conducted in the area of product tracing, which is related to recordkeeping, IFT was pleased to submit commits concurring that the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of FDA's functions. This information does have practical utility, but information pertaining to product transformations also needs to be considered to ensure comprehensive internal traceability. (Read more)

October 29, 2010
IFT commends the FDA on development of the draft Fiscal Year 2011-2015 Strategic Priorities Document, and appreciates the opportunity to comment on such an important and critical initiative. IFT is supportive of the strategic goals, long-term objectives and desired public health outcomes for food safety, as well as dietary practices and nutrition, outlined in the draft Strategic Priorities Document. IFT strongly encourages the FDA to quickly identify the tactical approaches necessary to implement the strategic priorities outlined in this draft document. There should be a real sense of urgency in implementing the strategic priorities that will benefit all Americans. (Read more)

October 12, 2010
IFT’s comments to the NOSB address the nanotechnology recommendation of NOSB’s Materials Committee. IFT encouraged careful consideration of the potential for nanotechnology in organic food production, processing, and packaging, given the critical need for additional scientific and technological advancements to sustainably meet future food needs. IFT offered its resources should the NOSB undertake further dialog on the topic. (Read more)

July 21, 2010
Founded in 1939, IFT is a nonprofit scientific society with individual members working in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government. IFT champions the use of science across the food value chain through knowledge sharing, education, and advocacy, encouraging the exchange of information, providing educational opportunities, and furthering the advancement of the profession. We thank you for the opportunity to provide comment on Measuring Progress on Food Safety: Current Status and Future Directions. (Read more)

July 9, 2010
IFT commends the members of DGAC on their report which is a thought-provoking call-to-action to address obesity; highlights an energy-balanced and nutrient dense total diet; suggests a flexible approach to total diet which can serve as a guide for Americans to successfully achieve healthier weights since it incorporates consumers’ taste and food preferences with their needs for healthier eating; and utilized USDA’s Nutrition Evidence Library to ensure that diet and nutrition-related recommendations are evidence-based. (Read more)

June 7, 2010
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is writing in response to Docket Number NIFA-2010-0001 regarding Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders Regarding the Agriculture and Food Initiative (AFRI). IFT appreciates the opportunity to comment. (Read more)

May 13, 2010
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) appreciates the opportunity to comment on the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Economic Council (NEC) request for information on “Commercialization of University Research,” which was published in the Federal Register on March 25, 2010. (Read more)

May 10, 2010
We are writing to respectfully urge opposition to legislation, particularly amendment to S. 510, that would ban use of Bisphenol-A (BPA) in food packaging materials. We do so not as an endorsement of the continued use of BPA, but as a respectful objection to substitution of political decision making for the science-based decision process of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

April 15, 2010
IFT's long-range vision is to ensure a safe and abundant food supply contributing to healthier people everywhere. Therefore, IFTbelieves that providing safe and nutritious food to enhance the health and wellness of the world's population in a sustainable manner represents a grand challenge. (Read more)

April 13, 2010
IFT believes accurate tracing will play an integral role in helping FSIS achieve its’ mission of ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged. Traceability of products is critical at all levels of the food system to protect public health by isolating products early to help contain a food incident. Additionally, product tracing can help contribute to the safety of the food system by identifying the cause of a problem, so that preventive controls can be put in place. (Read more)

March 26, 2010
As part of its educational mission, IFT supports achieving the Task Force’s four objectives: 1)Ensuring access to healthy, affordable food; 2) increasing physical activity in schools and communities; 3) providing healthier food in schools; and, 4) empowering parents with information and tools to make good choices for themselves and their families. (Read more)

February 22, 2010
Revision of the joint AFC/BIOHAZ guidance document on the submission of data for the evaluation of the safety and efficacy of substances for the removal of microbial surface contamination of foods of animal origin intended for human consumption. The Institute of Food Technologists also suggests that pilot studies outside a production atmosphere be considered as acceptable to in-plant studies. (Read more)

January 13, 2010
Public Access Policies for Science and Technology Funding Agencies across the Federal Government [DOCID: fr09de09-111]. Based on our 60-plus year history of scientific publishing, IFT strongly believes that the current system for handling and releasing peer-reviewed research—federally-funded or otherwise—is not broken and does not need a federally-mandated open access policy. (Read more)

November 3, 2009
Docket No. AMS-TM-09-0060; TM-09-07 (National Organic Standards Board; Public Meeting). IFT recognizes the potential for nanoscale science, engineering, and technology to positively impact the food and agriculture sector, therefore it supports objective and well designed research and development efforts in that sector. (Read more)

October 16, 2009
Docket No. FDA-2009-N-0247 (FDA Transparency Task Force; Public Meeting). IFT believes that increased transparency within the Agency will advance public health by equipping the food industry, scientists, and the public with vital, more constructive and actionable information about the safety and quality of food reaching the American public. (Read more)

May 15, 2009
Commentary on the USDA Roadmap for Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension provided to the Office of Research, Education, and Economics, USDA. IFT recommends that the USDA stress the benefits of funding research and innovation affecting our food system and its relationship with human health through food science and technology. (Read more)

May 1, 2009
In addition to consideration of candidates’ knowledge, credentials, experience, and integrity, IFT recommends that the selection process take into consideration personal references from universities and professional societies, as well as credentials of candidates’ involvement in their respective professional communities including any relevant accreditation by professional scientific and technical societies. (Read more)

April 20, 2009
Comments Relevant to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Revision Process. IFT believes that food science and technology considerations are integral to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines deliberations. Food scientists and technologists can help ensure that nutrition recommendations are realistic and achievable, given the food industry’s capabilities for meeting consumer needs and preferences with available technologies. (Read more)

April 2, 2009
Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake. If a strategy of sodium reduction in foods is decided upon, IFT suggests the encouragement of a graduated reduction of sodium in processed foods, with partnership between the food industry and public health officials. (Read more)

March 30, 2009
Draft Guidance for Industry on Good Importer Practices. Ensuring that imported products are in compliance with applicable U.S. statutes and regulations is a shared responsibility between the public and private sectors. It is critical that practices be in place to prevent or detect potential problems at key points along a product’s life cycle in the food system. (Read more)

March 24, 2009
IFT submitted comments to the Perspectives on FDA’s Role in Ensuring Safe Food Meeting, Institute of Medicine, National Research Council. IFT believes that the overarching goal of the Agency must be to protect the public from food-borne illness and food associated hazards. IFT believes that food safety must be built into food products from the beginning. (Read more)

September 24, 2008
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service Solicitation of Input Regarding the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), CSREES-2008-0002. IFT agrees that the priority area of “food safety, nutrition, and health” is very important to the continued ability to conduct cutting-edge agricultural and food research in the United States. (Read more)

July 31, 2008
IFT commends the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for developing a Food Protection Plan and is in general agreement with its core elements of Prevention, Intervention, and Response. We are pleased to have this opportunity to offer comments (Docket No. FDA-2008-N-0188), which we believe will help the Agency strengthen the Plan. (Read more)

April 23, 2008
The Department of Homeland Security offers non-immigrant students pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) degrees the opportunity to participate in Optional Practical Training (OPT) with a U.S. employer in a job directly related to the student’s major area of study. (Read more)

March 6, 2008
It is therefore imperative that substantial resources be made available to the agency to restore its scientific capability and capacity, enabling it to fulfill its mission and meet regulatory responsibilities effectively. (Read more)

January 30, 2008
IFT agrees with the S&T Subcommittee’s recommendations that CFSAN’s and CVM’s science base and related inspection and enforcement functions be rebuilt to a level commensurate with regulatory responsibilities. (Read more)

October 1, 2007
IFT agrees with the Working Group that U.S. citizens would benefit from the continued availability of a variety of food products regardless of the country in which they were produced. However, food safety must not be compromised in providing this benefit and food scientists and technologists stand ready to play a vital role in helping protect the public. (Read more)

September 17, 2007
IFT commends the Nanotechnology Environmental and Health Implications (NEHI) Working Group of the NSET Subcommittee on this specific research needs document. IFT is particularly pleased with the articulation of the research needs to encompasses areas of nanoscience applications relating to food. (Read more)

January 4, 2007
We believe that because every person must consume food on a daily basis, there is likely to be great public interest and concern regarding the potential health benefits and safety issues of nanostructured materials in foods. The IFT working group would welcome the opportunity to work with the NSET committee to address these issues and ensure they are encompassed in the future research priorities. (Read more)

December 5, 2006
The Institute of Food Technologists commends the Food and Drug Administration for holding this public hearing on functional foods as we believe that a few changes in regulatory policies could provide very positive benefits to society. (Read more)

April 1, 2005
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) supports the establishment of a National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) as an independent institute or as a new division within the National Science Foundation (NSF), as proposed by U.S. Senator Kit Bond (R-MO)1 and Congressman Gil Gutknecht (R-MN)2. (Read more)

August 9, 2004
Docket No. 2003P-0574. IFT agrees with the petitioners that a regulatory limit of 100 cfu/g in foods that do not support the growth of the microorganism, specifically prepared foods held at or below – 1°C, prepared foods with pH values less than 4.4, and prepared foods with water activity (aw) less than 0.92, will not jeopardize public health, and supports amendment of 21 CFR, Part 109, subpart C to establish a regulatory limit for L. monocytogenes. (Read more)

January 1, 0001
Docket No. 2007N-0330 Presidential Interagency Working Group on Import Safety; Public Meeting. IFT agrees with the Interagency Working Group that U.S. citizens would benefit from the continued availability of a variety of food purchase options regardless of the country in which the food product was produced. However, food safety must not be compromised in providing this benefit. (Read more)